Local Government Areas of New South Wales - Definition and Overview

The Local Government Areas of New South Wales, Australia have been subject to periodic bouts of restructuring and rationalisation by the State Government, involving voluntary and involuntary amalgamation of areas. This list is therefore subject to being made obsolete from time to time and should not be relied upon.

There are four classifications of local government in New South Wales:

1. Cities (predominantly urban or suburban areas)
2. Municipalities (predominantly inner-city suburban areas and smaller rural towns)
3. Shires (predominantly rural or outer suburban areas) and;
4. Regions (newly formed councils covering a large region usually dominated by a rural city).

There are no practical differences between these types of local governments - the differences are only in name and reflect historical differences between the different types of local government prior to the enactment of the current law that regulates local government in the state of New South Wales, the Local Government Act 1990. Many councils now choose not to use any of the four classifications, and simply refer to themselves as councils, e.g. Booroowa Council, Burwood Council.

As of August 2004 there are 158 Local Government Areas in New South Wales. These are listed below in alphabetical order.

A

• Albury, City of
• Armidale Dumaresq Council
• Ashfield, Municipality of
• Auburn Council

B

• Ballina Shire
• Balranald Shire
• Bankstown, City of
• Bathurst, City of
• Baulkham Hills Shire
• Bega Valley Shire
• Bellingen Shire
• Berrigan Shire
• Blacktown, City of
• Bland Shire
• Blayney Shire
• Blue Mountains, City of
• Bogan Shire
• Bombala Council
• Boorowa Council
• Botany Bay, City of
• Bourke Shire
• Brewarrina Shire
• Broken Hill, City of
• Burwood Council
• Byron Shire

C

• Cabonne Shire
• Camden Council
• Campbelltown, City of
• Canada Bay, City of (formed from a forced merger of Concord and Drummoyne)
• Canterbury, City of
• Carrathool Shire
• Central Darling Shire
• Cessnock, City of
• Clarence Valley Council
• Cobar Shire
• Coffs Harbour, City of
• Conargo Shire
• Coolamon Shire
• Cooma-Monaro Council
• Coonamble Shire
• Cootamundra Shire
• Corowa Shire
• Cowra Shire
• Culcairn Shire

D

• Deniliquin Council
• Dubbo, City of
• Dungog Shire

E

• Eastern Capital City Regional Council
• Eurobodalla Shire
• Evans Shire

F

• Fairfield, City of
• Forbes Shire

G

• Gilgandra Shire
• Glen Innes, Municipality of
• Gloucester Shire
• Gosford City Council
• Great Lakes Council
• Greater Argyle Council
• Greater Queanbeyan, City of
• Greater Taree, City of
• Griffith, City of
• Gundagai Shire
• Gunnedah Shire
• Guyra Shire
• Gwydir Shire

H

• Harden Shire
• Hastings Council
• Hawkesbury, City of
• Hay Shire
• Holbrook Shire
• Holroyd, City of
• Hornsby Shire
• Hume Shire
• Hunters Hill, Municipality of
• Hurstville, City of

I

• Inverell Shire

J

• Jerilderie Shire
• Junee Shire

K

• Kempsey Shire
• Kiama, Municipality of
• Kogarah, Municipality of
• Ku-ring-gai Council
• Kyogle Council

L

• Lachlan Shire
• Lake Macquarie City Council
• Lane Cove, Municipality of
• Leeton Shire
• Leichhardt, Municipality of
• Lismore, City of
• Lithgow, City of
• Liverpool, City of
• Liverpool Plains Shire
• Lockhart Shire

M

• Maitland, City of
• Manly Municipality of
• Marrickville Municipality of
• Merriwa Shire
• Moree Plains Shire
• Mosman, Municipality of
• Mudgee Shire
• Murray Shire
• Murrumbidgee Shire
• Muswellbrook Shire

N

• Nambucca Shire
• Narrabri Shire
• Narrandera Shire
• Narromine Shire
• Newcastle, City of
• North Sydney Council

O

• Oberon Council
• Orange, City of

P

• Parkes Shire
• Parramatta, City of
• Penrith, City of
• Pittwater Council
• Port Stephens Council

Q

R

• Randwick, City of
• Richmond Valley Council
• Rockdale, City of
• Ryde, City of
• Rylstone Shire

S

• Severn Shire
• Shellharbour, City of
• Shoalhaven, City of
• Singleton Shire
• Snowy River Shire
• Strathfield, Municipality of
• Sutherland Shire
• City of Sydney, City of (NB: the City of South Sydney became part of the City of Sydney in 2004)

T

• Tamworth Regional Council (NB: Amalgamation of City of Tamworth, Manilla and Parts of Parry, Gunnedah, Barraba & Nundle)
• Temora Shire
• Tenterfield Shire
• Tumbarumba Shire
• Tumut Council
• Tweed Shire

U

• unincorporated area (sparsely populated area in far west not organised as a shire)
• Upper Hunter Shire
• Upper Lachlan Council
• Uralla Shire
• Urana Shire

V

W

• Wagga Wagga, City of
• Wakool Shire
• Walcha Council
• Walgett Shire
• Warren Shire
• Warringah Council
• Warrumbungle Shire
• Waverley Council
• Weddin Shire
• Wellington Council
• Wentworth Shire
• Willoughby, City of
• Wingecarribee Shire
• Wollondilly Shire
• Wollongong, City of
• Woollahra, Municipality of
• Wyong Shire Council

X

Y

• Yass Valley Council
• Young Shire

Z

External links

• Clickable map of New South Wales LGAs (http://www.dlg.nsw.gov.au/dlg/dlghome/dlg_regions.asp?regiontype=0) (NSW Dept. of Local Government)
• Statoids on Australia Shires (http://www.statoids.com/yau.html)